Safety latch for closures



Dec. 22, 1959 s c s 2,918,318

SAFETY LATCH FOR CLOSURES Filed May 31, 1957 fig. a.

INVENTOR.

U d States Patent J 2,918,318; SAFETY LATCH FOR CLOSURES Edward PQSacharski, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 31, 1957, Serial No. 662,825

l 4 Claims. 01. 29 2-87 This invention relates to a latch device which may be readily applied by a householder to the door of a cupboard or to the drawer of a cabinet, or the like, more particularly as a safety measure for the purpose of pre venting it being readily opened by children; and has for its object to provide a simple and cheaply constructed article for that purpose, which may be readily applied to existing structures without special tools or skill and which may be readily removed and re-applied to other structures whenever deemed necessary or desirable.

More particularly, the said invention contemplates a simple one-piece device, such as of spring material, formed to provide a clip for ready engagement with the frame of a door or the like, said clip including a resilient latch extension adapted to project over the marginal face of a closed door and terminating in a finger loop which forms an abutment to impinge on the door and facilitate the manual movement of the said abutment from such impingement against the resilient resistance of the said device.

Still further objects or advantages additional or subsidiary to the aforesaid objects, or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may adopt the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my detachable or auxiliary safety latch for doors, drawers or similar closures;

Figure 2 is an edgewise view of the device as applied to a flush type door or to a drawer; and

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, illustrating an application of the device to a door or closure which overlaps its frame.

In the example shown, a single strip of spring material has one end portion formed into a U-shaped clip, generally numbered 10, proportioned and of an angular shape to engage about the adjacent frame 11 of a door or drawer 19, the spacing of the legs 12 and 13 of this clip being preferably somewhat greater than the thickness of the frame 11 to which it is to be applied and the inner end portion of the leg 13 bent inwardly upon itself or provided with a tab, as at 14, to so engage the door frame as to resist withdrawal of the clip from the frame once it has been applied thereto. The base portion of the clip may be perforated, as at 15, to permit it to be further secured by means of a screw (not shown) if desired for further permanence of attachment, but in many cases I find this to be unnecessary.

The leg 12 of the said clip is extended in a semicircular manner, as at 16, and thence in a substantially straight portion 17 to a terminal loop 18 of a width sufficient to permit the insertion of a finger thereinto; the straight portion 17, in its position of normal rest, ex-

tending at an acute angle to the leg 12 of the clip and to an extent whereby the loop 18 projects substantially beyond the planeof the said leg 12.

Thus, if the device be applied to the frame 11 ofthe door 19 (usually at a point quite remote from the hinge of the door), the loop 18 may impinge with some pressure on the face of the door. and thus prevent its inadvertent opening; but upon the insertion of alfinger in the loop 18, the member 17 may be sprung outwardly against the resistance of the springlbow 16 to permit the opening of the door. It is proposedl that the strength of this spring material be such as to be not readily overcome by young children, such as it may be desirable to exclude from access to the cupbroad or the like to which the device is applied.

The member 19 may, of course, be a closure such as the front panel of a drawer, and the device is equally applicable as shown in Figure 3, to a closure 19' which overlaps the surrounding frame as will obvious.

By positioning the loop 18 inwardly of the straight portion 17 of the device, as illustrated, it will solely contact the door or closure, even when the thickness of the overlapping thereof is quite considerable, and effective securing of the closure thus obtained under widely varying conditions.

While I prefer to make the device entirely of spring material, it will be recognized that merely the hinge portion 16 of the device may be of a spring nature insofar as its operation in use is concerned; and, of course, to a desirable extent the members 13 and 14 are contemplated as being of a resilient nature to accommodate themselves to varying thicknesses of the frame 11.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative of a practical embodiment of the same and not in strictly limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A safety device for attachment to the frame of a door and the like comprising a sngle strip ofspringy resilient material, one end portion of said strip being generally U-shaped so as to be snap-fitted about the edge of a door frame, and the other oppositely extending end portion of said strip terminating in a terminal finger engaging loop which overlaps and engages a door at a point removed from the said door frame so as: to hold the door in a closed position with respect to said frame and means interconnecting the said end portions and spaced from the door frame and door with the terminal finger-engaging loop extending from the interconnecting means toward the door.

2. A safety device for attachment to the frame of a door and the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said end portion provided with the terminal finger engaging loop is offset with respect to said U-shaped end portion, whereby it will readily overlap a door when the door is disposed in a closed position.

3. A safety device for attachment to the frame of a door and the like comprising a single strip of material having oppositely disposed end portions which are also offset with respect to each other, and means interconnecting said end portions, one of said end portions being generally U-shaped so as to be snap-fitted about a correspondingly shaped section of a door frame while the other end portion comprises a finger engaging loop which overlaps and engages the door at a point removed from the door frame so as to hold the door in a closed position with the finger-engaging loop extending: toward the door from one end of said connecting means between the end portions. i

I 4. A safety device for attachment to a door frame and the like comprising a single strip of springy resilient material provided with oppositely disposed end portions which are also ofiset with respect to each other, and means interconnecting said end. portions, one of said .end portions being generally U-shaped so as to be snap-fitted about a correspondingly shaped section of a door .frame, .while the other end portion comprises a finger-engagng 'loop which overlaps and engages the door at a point remote from the intersection of said door and frame so as -to hold the door in a closed position, and said interconnecting means comprising an arcuate spring bow portion located immediately adjacent said U-shaped end portion and. a straight portion located immediately adjacent the vloopedend portion directed toward the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent 3 UNITED STATES PATENTS Greene Feb. 7, Kuskey Mar. 14, Abraham Sept. 19, Maris May 28, Tinnerman Sept. 7, Churchill Oct. 18, .Tinnerman Aug. 28, Berthene Aug. 28,

FOREIGN PATENTS I Switzerland Jan. 17, Germany Nov. 14, 

